Hammocks



April 25, 1967 E. c. MORRIS 3,315,281

HAMMOCKS Filed July 12, 1965 INVENTOR. {2 1/077 6 Ala/em;

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' United States Patent Oilice 3,315,281 Patented Apr. 25, 1967 cousin Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,329 3 Claims. (Cl. 5-120) This invention relates to improvements in hammocks, and more particularly to a hammock having a new and improved stand and an improved bed-supporting assembly.

Conventional hammocks of the type herein concerned comprise a bed formed of woven fabric or canvas, or other suitable material, which bed can be suspended between a pair of trees or other rigid supports, or which is suspended between the ends of a unitary frame or stand. The head end of said bed is ordinarily supported by an elongated cord or string interwoven to form a web extending between said bed material and the supporting member, and the opposite end of the bed is also provided with a string web which is suspended from the other rigid support member. Unfortunately, the manual stringing of a single continuous cord or string to form the bed-supporting webs in conventional hammocks is a tedious and time-consuming job, and adds substantially to the manufacturing cost of the hammock. Moreover, in the event one of the strands in said stringing should be cut or worn either the bed must be replaced or the entire supporting web replaced, which is relatively expensive as well as an inconvenience.

With the above considerations in mind, one of the principal objects. of the present invention is to provide a novel hammock wherein the bed-supporting stringing is formed of a plurality of individual strings, in lieu of the single, continuous web string employed in conventional hammocks, and which individual webbing strings can be assembled in a fraction of the time required to weave the single, elongated webbing string heretofore used. Moreover, the present bed-supporting stringing is stronger, and the strands can be individually replaced in the event one should become worn or broken, thus eliminating the necessity for replacing the bed, or the entire webbing therein.

While the hammock bed may be suspended between a pair of trees or other fixed supports, as described, the trend in recent years is toward hammocks supported by a unitary metal frame or stand which can be readily shifted to any desired location in a yard. Such stands are usually formed principally of tubular steel, but they are provided with end portions formed of solid rod or bar stock in order to permit the welding of web-supporting hooks thereon. Unfortunately, said solid metal stock is more costly than hollow, tubular stock, and it also increases the weight of the stand, which impairs the portability of the unit and also increases shipping costs. Moreover, the welding of the hook members thereon is relatively expensive, and results in hook assemblies which are not always completely safe and reliable.

With the above in mind, another important object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hammock stand construction employing tubular stock throughout thus reducing the manufacturing cost and also providing a lighter weight structure, and wherein the necessity for welding the web-supporting hooks thereon is eliminated, thereby further reducing costs and also providing a hook assembly which is stronger and more reliable than the welded hooks heretofore used.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel hammock stand which is especially designed to minimize the possibility of water or dirt finding its way between the interfitting parts thereof and causing rust or corrosion.

A further important object of the invention is to provide an improved hammock wherein the novel stand structure can be advantageously used with existing hammock beds of various styles, and wherein the novel andv improved bed featured in the invention can also be advantageously used with various makes and types of existing stands, as well as with fixed supports such as trees or the like.

Still further objects of the present invention are to provide a novel hammock which is extremely durable and long-lasting, which is strong and reliable, and which is attractive in appearance.

With the above and other objects in view, which other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter, the invention comprises the improved hammock described in the following specification, and any and all modifications or variations thereof as may come within the spirit of said invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein the same reference numerals are used to designate the same parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the improved hammock comprising the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the head end of the hammock;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the foot end of said hammock;

FIG. 4 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view showing the stringing hook assembly;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the method of connecting the individual web strings to the bed; and

FIG. 6 illustrates the manner in which the opposite end of said web strings are secured to the stand.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, it will be seen that the improved hammock stand characterizing the present invention includes a pair of elongated ground-engaging base portions 10 and 11 which are preferably spaced apart, as shown, to provide a stable support and to permit said stand to be easily manually pushed about. In lieu of said split stand, however, it is also possible to utilize a stand having a one-piece base, and the invention is not to be limited in this respect. Formed at the head end of said stand are upwardlyangled leg members 12 and 13 which are interconnected by a cross bar or so-called header bar 14, and formed at the foot end of said stand are upwardly-converging leg members 15, 16 having an inverted V-shaped upper connecting member 17. As hereinabove mentioned, in conventional hammock stands of the type herein concerned the header bar 14 and inverted V member 17 are formed of solid rod or bar stock in order to provide strength and support for the welding of hook members thereon. In accordance with the present invention, however, the entire stand is formed of tubular stock, including said end members 14, 17, with the attendant advantages hereinabove mentioned.

As best appears in FIG. 2, said tubular header bar 14 includes downwardly deflected end portions 14 which fit over the upper ends of the leg members 12, 13 in telescoping relation, and the inverted V member 17 at the foot end of the stand is telescoped over the upright legs 15, 16. The result is that water running down said stand cannot enter between said interfitting members and cause rust or corrosion to develop, as frequently occurs with conventional metal hammock stands wherein the upper members are telescopically fitted within the portions therebelow.

With reference now to FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawings, in accordance with the present invention, a pair of spaced apertures 18 and 19 are formed completely through the tubular header bar 14, and removably mountable therein are hook .members 21. Said hooks include a straight leg portion adapted to be projected into and through said tube opening and a curved hook portion designed to extend over and partially around said tube member, as shown. The inverted V member 17 at the foot end of the stand is also provided with an aperture therethrough, and mounted therein is a similar hook 21. Said hooks are manually insertable, as described, and once mounted within, said tube members they will not inadvertently fall or Work free of said mountings when the hammock is subjected to a load. While a pair of spaced header bar apertures and hook members have been illustrated and described, a third, intermediate aperture and interfitting hook can also be employed when desired, as when it is intended to use a swing bar adapter, and the invention is not to be limited or confined in this respect.

As mentioned, the apertured tube members and insertable hook assembly hereinabove described is an important feature of the present invention inasmuch as it eliminates the necessity for employing solid metal stock in the stand, thereby reducing the cost and also providing a lighter structure. Moreover, said novel hook assembly makes it unnecessary to weld the stringing hooks onto the stand, which is far more expensive than forming holes in tubular stock, and it has been found that the present hook members are stronger and safer than the welded hooks heretofore used.

With reference now to FIGS. 2 and 6, a triangular ring 26 is carried by each of the books 21, said rings being formed of a single piece of wire arranged with its free ends overlapping at the apex. Thus there is provided a double thickness and strength at the point where said rings are engaged by the supporting hooks 21 when the hammock is assembled to minimize the possibility of said rings being bent or pulled apart under a heavy strain. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6 and as will be hereinafter described, said overlapping ring portions may be temporarily manually separated slightly to permit the insertion of the web strings therebetween, the resiliency of said wire material causing the ring to immediately close again. The triangular shape of said rings is advantageous in that it provides a relatively wide base portion for the attachment of the webbing strings thereto while permitting the provision of a double thickness at the apex, as described, but it is to be understood that this is not a critical feature of the invention and other ring shapes could also be utilized without departing from the intended scope of said invention.

With respect now to the hammock bed, which is designated generally by the numeral 23, said bed may be formed of woven fabric or canvas duck, or any other suitable material, and includes a head portion within which is sewn a transverse bar (not shown) defining the width of said bed, any material beyond the ends of said bar falling downwardly to provide a valance 24 as shown. While the illustrated bed is designed for three-point suspension, it is also contemplaed that the novel features of the present invention will have equal utility in twopoint hammocks, as well as in those having four-point suspension, or so-called hammock lounges.

Formed on and along the edges at the head and foot end of the bed 23 are a plurality of closely-spaced loops 25, which are ordinarily several inches in length, the function of which loops is to provide means for securing the supporting stringing to the bed material, as will be described. As'hereinabove mentioned, conventional hammock assemblies employ a single elongated cord or string which is woven between each of said loops and the stand to form a supporting web, and the weaving of said continuous web is a tedious and time-consuming task.

In accordance with the present invention, in lieu of the single elongated web string heretofore used, a plurality of individual strings 27 are utilized, each having its free ends tied together to form an endless looped string, as shown in FIG. 5. To secure said endless strings to the bed material it is merely necessary to insert one end thereof through one or more of said bed loops 25 (FIG. 5) and to then project the opposite end of said string through itself to form a noose 27' engaging said bed loop. Said string 27 may then be pulled to form a non-slip knot tightly engaging the bed loop, and the opposite end of said string secured to one of the supporting rings 26, as will be described. While the endless string 27 illustrated in FIG. 5 is shown being inserted through and secured to a single bed loop 25, in order to clearly show the manner in which said members are joined, in actual practice it is preferred to project each string 27 through a number of said bed loops to provide an upwardly-converging web arrangement, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

To secure the opposite ends of the strings 27 to the supporting stand the free end portion of each of said looped strings is first looped upon itself and pulled through to form a noose 27", as shown in FIG. 6. The overlapping apex portion of one of the triangular rings 26 is then manually spread apart slightly, as illustrated, and said string noose 27" is mounted on said ring. Said string is then shifted around to the lower portion of the ring and pulled tight to form a non-slip knot, as shown in broken lines. While a single looped string 27 is shown mounted on the ring 26 in FIG. 6, for the sake of clarity, in actual practice a number of said strings are secured to each of said rings, as appears in FIG. 2.

The bed-supporting stringing at the foot end of the bed is similarly formed, as illustrated in FIG. 3, except that the bunching of said bed material and reduced width of said foot end necessitates the use of only one ring 26. Moreover, in the preferred form of the invention said ring 26 is supported by a chain 28 secured to the stringing hook 21 at the foot end of the stand. Said chain is inserted into the ring 26 in the same manner as the stringing, the spring-like nature of said ring permitting the same to be temporarily opened, as described, and a selected link adjacent the opposite end of said chain is mounted on the hook 26, the selection of said link determining'the slack or tension on the bed, and permitting the user to set the same to correspond to his weight. If the hammock bed is to be suspended between trees or similar fixed supports a rope may be utilized in lieu of said chain assembly, in which event said rope can be inserted directly through the rings 26 and arranged to provide the desired slack.

As previously mentioned, the use of a plurality of individual endless strings to form the bed-supporting webbing in the present structure, in lieu of the single continuous webbing string heretofore employed, is one of the important features of the invention. Not only is the assembly of said individual strings far less time-consuming than the weaving of a single continuous web, but it has been found that the present structure is stronger and more durable, and the replacement of said individual strings in the event of Wear is easier and less time-consuming than replacing the entire web, and is considerably less costly than replacing the complete bed assembly.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be seen that the present invention provides a novel and improved hammock assembly which has several important advantages over prior hammocks. With the novel stand construction characterizing the present invention, for example, wherein said stand is formed entirely of tubular stock in lieu of the solid rod or bar stock used in the head and foot portions of conventional hammock stands, the assembly is not only rendered less expensive, but its lighter weight makes it more portable and reduces shipping costs. Moreover, it is no longer necessary to weld the stringing hooks onto said stand, as in conventional hammock stands, which is a costly and time-consuming operation, and which welded hooks are not entirely safe and reliable. In addition, the novel web-supporting ring members employed in the present structure are designed to permit the quick and easy attachment of the stringing, and said rings are designed to provide maximum strength at the point of greatest strain.

A further important feature of the present invention is that both the bed and stand members may be used with existing hammocks of various makes and types. The novel bed and supporting web assembly characterizing the present invention can be advantageously utilized in a hammock supported by a conventional stand, or suspended between a pair of trees, for example, and the improved frame structure featured in the invention can be advantageously employed to support existing hammock beds of various makes and styles.

Still further advantages of the present invention are that the stand is so designed that water and dirt running down thereon cannot find its way into the interfitting portion of said stand and cause damaging rust or corrosion. Moreover, the assembled unit is neat and attractive in appearance, and it is extremely strong and durable.

It is to be understood, of course, that numerous variations or modifications in the structure hereinabove described will undoubtedly occur to those familiar with the art, and it is intended to include herein not only the structure illustrated and described illustrated and described but also any and all modifications or variations thereof as may come within the spirit of said invention, and within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A hammock, comprising: a tubular metal stand having a head end and a foot end, and having ground-engaging portions therebetween, said stand having a pair of upwardly-angled leg members at its head end, and said stand having a pair of upwardly-angled and converging leg members at its foot end; a tubular header bar mounted on an extending between said leg members at the stand head end, said header bar having downturned end portions fitted over the upper ends of said legs in telescopic relation, and said tubular header bar being provided with spaced hook-receiving apertures therethrough; a tubular inverted V member telescopically fitted over the upper ends of the converging legs at the foot end of said stand, said inverted V member having a hook-receiving aperture therethrough; a stringing hook removably mounted in each of the apertures in said header bar and inverter V member, said hooks having a straight leg portion inserted into said apertures and extending completely through said tubular members, and a curved hook portion extending over and downwardly partially around said tubular members; a triangular ring carried by each of said header bar hooks, said rings being formed of resilient wire and having overlapping apex portions adapted to be temporarily sprung apart; a chain adjustably carried by the stringing hook at the foot end of said stand; a triangular ring carried on the free end of said chain; a hammock bed supported by said stand, said bed having head and foot ends provided with a plurality of loops spaced therealong; and a plurality of endless looped webbing strings secured to and between said bed loops and the rings car- 6 ried by said stand header bar and inverted V member, each of said strings being inserted through one or more of said bed loops and pulled through itself to form a tight, nonslip noose engaging said loops, and the opposite end of said string being formed in a noose and arranged on and tightly engaging one of said rings, there being a plurality of said strings converging upwardly and secured to each of said rings, the resilient nature of said rings permitting the temporary opening thereof to allow the attachment of said strings, and said stringing providing a supporting Webbing whereby said bed is suspended betwen the ends of said stand.

2. A hammock, comprising: a tubular metal stand having a head end and a foot end, and said stand having a pair of upwardly-extending leg member at its head end and a pair of upwardly-extending leg members at its foot end; a tubular header bar carried by and between said leg members at the stand head end, said header bar being provided with hook-receiving apertures therethrough; a tubular foot end member carried by and between said leg members at the stand foot end, said foot end member having a hook-receiving aperture therethrough; stringing hooks removably mounted in said header bar and foot end member apertures, each of said hooks having a straight leg portion projected completely through said tubular member and having a curved hook portion adapted to overlie said tubular member; a ring removably carried by each of said hooks, said rings being formed of resilient wire and having overlapping non-connected portions adapted to be temporarily sprung apart; a hammock bed supported by said stand, said bed having head and foot ends provided with a plurality of loops spaced therealong; and a plurality of individual endless looped webbing strings secured to and between said bed loops and said rings, each of said strings being inserted through one or more of said bed loops and pulled through itself to form a tight, non-slip noose engaging said loops, and the opposite end of said string being secured on one of said rings, the resilient nature of said rings permitting the same to be temporarily sprung apart to allow said looped strings to be secured thereon, and said stringing providing supporting webbing whereby said bed is suspended between the ends of said stand.

3. The hammock structure recited in claim 2 and wherein said rings are triangular in form and provided with overlapping apex portions to provide a double thickness for engagement by said hooks, and said triangular ring design providing a relatively wide portion to accommodate said webbing strings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RAYMOND D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner. 

1. A HAMMOCK, COMPRISING: A TUBULAR METAL STAND HAVING A HEAD END AND A FOOT END, AND HAVING GROUND-ENGAGING PORTIONS THEREBETWEEN, SAID STAND HAVING A PAIR OF UPWARDLY-ANGLED LEG MEMBERS AT ITS HEAD END, AND SAID STAND HAVING A PAIR OF UPWARDLY-ANGLED AND CONVERGING LEG MEMBERS AT ITS FOOT END; A TUBULAR HEADER BAR MOUNTED ON AN EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID LEG MEMBERS AT THE STAND HEAD END, SAID HEADER BAR HAVING DOWNTURNED END PORTIONS FITTED OVER THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID LEGS IN TELESCOPIC RELATION, AND SAID TUBULAR HEADER BAR BEING PROVIDED WITH SPACED HOOK-RECEIVING APERTURES THERETHROUGH; A TUBULAR INVERTED V MEMBER TELESCOPICALLY FITTED OVER THE UPPER ENDS OF THE CONVERGING LEGS AT THE FOOT END OF SAID STAND, SAID INVERTED V MEMBER HAVING A HOOK-RECEIVING APERTURE THERETHROUGH; A STRINGING HOOK REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN EACH OF THE APERTURES IN SAID HEADER BAR AND INVERTER V MEMBER, SAID HOOKS HAVING A STRAIGHT LEG PORTION INSERTED INTO SAID APERTURES AND EXTENDING COMPLETELY THROUGH SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS, AND A CURVED HOOK PORTION EXTENDING OVER AND DOWNWARDLY PARTIALLY AROUND SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS; A TRIANGULAR RING CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID HEADER BAR HOOKS, SAID RINGS BEING FORMED OF RESILIENT WIRE AND HAVING OVERLAPPING APEX PORTIONS ADAPTED TO BE TEMPORARILY SPRUNG APART; A CHAIN ADJUSTABLY CARRIED BY THE STRINGING HOOK AT THE FOOT END OF SAID STAND; A TRIANGULAR RING CARRIED ON THE FREE END OF SAID CHAIN; A HAMMOCK BED SUPPORTED BY SAID STAND, SAID BED HAVING HEAD AND 